The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/50790
MICHIGAN IN THE PROS Tom Brady And New England Clinch AFC East Again BY CHRIS BALAS F ormer Michigan and current New England quarterback Tom Brady probably won't repeat as the NFL's MVP this year, but at least one writer believes he should. St. Lucie (Fla.) News Tribune columnist Ray Mc- Nulty opined after New England's 41-23 win at Denver that clinched the AFC East title for the Patriots: "Simply put, he's doing his job — at the most important position in foot- ball — better than anyone else at any position, and with far less help than the league's other upper-echelon quarterbacks." What makes Brady "truly special" and separates him from his peers is how much of the Patriots' offense depends on his right arm and his decision-making, McNulty added. "He is a dedicated student through- out the week, and that video room work has made him a master at read- ing defenses, so that he can get the most of the offensive weapons at his disposal," he continued. "I'm not say- ing Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and New Orleans' Drew Brees don't do the same. They are, in many ways, Brady's equal as both a passer and field general. But Rodgers and Brees have more weapons with which to operate. Both have top-tier receiving corps. Both play on teams with better defenses. "Brady? He's putting up these re- markable numbers with two tight ends [Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez], a slot receiver [Wes Welker] and a running back [BenJar- vus Green-Ellis] who ranks 25th in the NFL in rushing. "He's winning these games despite a defense that ranks 32nd — dead last — in the NFL." As usual, however, Brady wasn't satisfied after the win in Denver. "There were some good things, Heading into the final two weeks of the NFL regular season, Brady ranked second in the league in passing yards (4,593), and third in both touchdowns (35) and passer rating (106.7). PHOTO COURTESY NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 62 THE WOLVERINE JANUARY 2012 and there were some things I wish I would have done better," Brady told radio station WEEI. "Offen- sively when we score 41 points, it feels pretty good, and everyone was pretty happy on the flight home. I certainly was. It was a very satisfy- ing day. We played a team that's won six straight, and you go on the road in a very important game to clinch a division title. "There was a lot at stake, and we knew that going into the week. We prepared hard, and to come out of it